Not bad, hey? West Coast’s Jarrod Cameron celebrates one of his four goals against Fremantle. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
The AFL media as a whole is rightly accused of being too Victoria-centric at times.
And to suitably tell the story of Round 16, we must first gaze as far west as possible. Because it is in Perth that the reigning premier has awoken and sent shudders down the spines of its flag rivals.
And the fact most of the contenders for the crown stumbled over the weekend means it is time for all onlookers to acknowledge that Adam Simpson and his band of merry men might just be timing their run perfectly for a second successive season.
Ladder leader Geelong, former premiership favourite Collingwood and fellow challengers Greater Western Sydney and Adelaide all hit unexpected snags.
Meanwhile, West Coast equalled its own record of nine consecutive Western Derby wins (set from 1995-1999) with a 91-point shellacking of insipid crosstown rival Fremantle at Optus Stadium.
It was the Eagles at their ruthless best – a level not seen since last year’s preliminary final drubbing of Melbourne. They were smart, tough, committed and organised; and the Dockers were the antithesis of all that.
Heavy rain tumbled at quarter-time and with it went Fremantle’s chances of ending its derby drought. Already by that stage, the Dockers were swimming against the tide. Another couple of goals conceded early in the second term in horrendous conditions looked likely to break their backs, and so it proved.
The way the Eagles’ forwards consistently edged their opponents under the ball, letting it run over the back to their advantage, was symptomatic of a team that had quickly adapted to make the most of what Mother Nature had dished up.
Nic Naitanui, in his second game back from a second serious knee injury, comprehensively won the ruck battle and offered a glimpse of what rival clubs feared he would be able to produce at centre bounces under the 6-6-6 rule.
Naitanui gave returning Dockers duo Aaron Sandilands and Rory Lobb a bath and was crucial to West Coast’s ability to pile on five goals direct from centre bounces.
Andrew Gaff, much to the frustration of jeering Fremantle fans, calmly went about his business and avoided controversy. He racked up 35 disposals and would not have been an undeserving winner of the Glendinning-Allan Medal.
Somewhat fortunately, increasingly reliable teammate Brad Sheppard claimed that honour. Had Gaff won, all hell might have broken loose at a designated Dockers “home” game.
It’s worth remembering that Naitanui, Gaff and Sheppard were all absent from last season’s premiership team. The latter two are in the All-Australian conversation and all are capable of taking the Eagles to new heights.
So, too, is a seemingly less likely character. If flag-winning trio Liam Ryan, Jamie Cripps and Willie Rioli didn’t offer enough potency as small forwards, West Coast looks to have unearthed another gem in Jarrod Cameron over the last few weeks.
Charlie Cameron’s younger brother bobbed up with four majors in his first derby appearance after spearhead Josh Kennedy was ruled out through illness.
Cripps and Jack Darling matched that tally as West Coast made a mockery of the wet weather to kick its second-highest score of the season.
The flip-side: If a week is a long time in football, then what does that make a month?
At the start of June, Fremantle fans were singing from the rafters after a win over Collingwood at the MCG fired their side into finals contention. Another win over Port Adelaide lifted the Dockers into the top eight and made Ross Lyon hot property in a volatile coaching market.
Brisbane legend Jonathon Brown even went as far as to suggest Fremantle had overtaken West Coast as the best team in Western Australia. It seemed premature then, and looks downright ridiculous now.
Fast forward to July and the doom and gloom of Fremantle’s last three seasons has returned amid a spate of injuries to key players (Jesse Hogan, Alex Pearce, Matt Taberner, Stephen Hill et al).
The Dockers’ worst ever derby performance – featuring their lowest score and second-heaviest losing margin in 50 meetings with West Coast – looks a lot like the nail in their finals coffin for 2019.
The wheels are in danger of falling off after a promising first half of the season.
Big decisions are looming, with Lyon out of contract at the end of next year. Few clubs these days let a coach go into the final year of a contract before re-signing or sacking him. Watch this space.
After dealing with the west, it’s time to look north. Is Brisbane the real deal? The Lions look closer than they have been at any stage in the last 15 year, roaring into the top four after dismantling Greater Western Sydney on its home deck.
The triumph was up there with Brisbane’s best this season – including the first round thumping of West Coast – and it’s just a pity so few were on hand to witness it live at the Homebush “graveyard”.
The irresistible enthusiasm of youth is complemented by enough experience to make Chris Fagan’s side a balanced mix that could do serious damage in September.
Port Adelaide could also rattle some cages, but remains the most unpredictable team in the country.
Brilliant one week, terrible the next is the Power – and the yo-yo streak continued with a second-half domination of Adelaide in a highly-anticipated Showdown.
Port piled on nine goals to one in the second half to tear apart a Crows side that has teased at times but looks unlikely to reach the same heights it did in 2017. Don Pyke was moved to apologise to Adelaide members, such was his embarrassment in the display on the biggest stage in South Australian football.
It left the Crows clinging to a top-eight spot, marginally ahead of round 16 winners Essendon, North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs (and Fremantle).
Port gun Robbie Gray claimed a record-equalling fifth Showdown Medal, adding to his three best-and-fairest awards and four All-Australian blazers. He might retire in a few years’ time as the Power’s greatest-ever player.
Finally, if we’re talking about Brisbane and Port Adelaide as possible threats, then we can’t discount Richmond.
The Tigers’ belting of woeful Gold Coast put them within touching distance of the top four ahead of Jack Riewoldt’s return from a knee injury.
West Coast’s rise from an early-season slumber might soon be followed by something similar from Damien Hardwick’s side as the business end of the season fast approaches.
